Miner's flashlight, circa 1955. Plastic, metal, glass. Designed by Alfred Mell at the Chicago Institute of Design and manufactured by Justrite Manufacturing Co., Chicago, Illinois. Gift of Mrs. Alfred Mell. 1985.714a
Hand-held flashlight made of yellow plastic. Case is rectangular with rounded corners, light is set at angle at top corner, bottom unscrews for batteries. Metal belt clip on side and metal loop on bottom corner.
Justrite Mfg. Co./Chicago 14, Ill/Pat. Nos 137296/Made in U.S.A.; Justrite Service Light/Model No. 17-S
Object History
This flashlight was designed by Alfred Mell at the Chicago Institute of Design and produced by Justrite Manufacturing Co. in Chicago. The flashlight was designed for miners and was approved by the Department of the Interior for use in mines with methane and air mixtures.
Curatorial Statement
The Chicago Institute of Design was founded by Lazlo Moholy-Nagy in 1937 on the model of the German Bauhaus school of "total design" which incorporated art, design and photography into the "master art" of architecture. Experimentation with a variety of woods, metals, and plastics helped students create sleek, modern designs with new technology, as exemplified by this miner's flashlight which was manufactured for use by a Chicago-based company. The original Chicago Institute of Design became part of the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1949.
